Author's Note: I apologize for the long delay. The usual excuses: too much work, and a touch of writer's block. Then I wasn't able to upload the last chapter. Fortunately, with the extra days I improved it. I thank all those who are still keeping up with this.

Gunfire is exchanged as the rescue crew encounters the Others' guard. Alex and Walt must come up with a plan quickly.

A few more routine days came and went for Walt and Alex. They tried to keep each other's spirits up, but it was getting harder and harder. They observed that at the rate Walt was going, he would have completed mining the eastern network of mines within a week. A dinnertime conversation ensued.

"What do you think they intend do with me when I'm done with the mine if we're not rescued by then? I don't think they're letting me go even if they said they would early on."

Alex looked sad. It was conceivable that the Others would "dispose" of Walt if they had no more use for him, but she wasn't going to tell him that. "Don't give up hope that we will be rescued. But I think you would still be valuable to them. They certainly have more use for you than for me, and they've kept me around all these years. They're not going to kill you, if that's what you're worried about."

"Well, of course I've thought of that. Maybe we should try to escape before I'm done mining. I know that if we're caught I'll be whipped or tortured, but if the alternative is death, it's a risk worth taking."

"Please don't talk like that." Alex did not like the direction in which this conversation was headed. "Let's try to think more positively. How can we escape, or aid in our rescue?" I told you that there's usually only one guard at the water entrance. But I can't just walk past him or overpower him. Together we might stand a chance, but if anyone sees you between your room and that entrance the alarm will be sounded immediately. We would have to pass some rooms where the Others are usually in."

"What else do you know? If the Others are separated, maybe we could take them out one at a time?"

"That's a good thought, but we can't count on that. Recently, during the day, three of them have been fixing their machine that was damaged in the explosion that buried you, and the other four, excluding the guard, are usually in the laboratory or their sleeping quarters. Often one is in the kitchen; we all have to eat, you know. At night, they are all between here and the entrance. Furthermore, there is someone checking up on me every day to make sure everything is going as they plan. They are still making sure you are chained to that bed each night. I think I could get away with lying to them if I didn't chain you up, but we could only get away with that once. We've got to be very careful if that's what we're planning."

"Yes, I have to agree with you. Maybe in a few days we can try that, if we have a great plan by then." The thought kept Walt in high enough spirits that a little while later he didn't mind being chained up once again for the night. Then he was mentally kicking himself for thinking that way. How long had it been? It was over one hundred nights of being chained to that bed, and the last seventy-five with both hands and feet in shackles. Glaring up into the darkness, he pulled hard on the chains to remind himself that this was not normal, and that he wasn't going to meekly accept this situation. He took several deep breaths, and faded off to sleep once more.

The next morning Walt was mining the fourth-to-last tunnel in the eastern section of the mines. Alex was standing by in the central cavern, far enough away so that Walt would be able to mine the otherite without interference, when she heard a noise that would change the course of her life. Three sharp, loud cracks echoed through the tunnels: sounds of gunshots.

Michael, Sawyer, Jin, and Sayid had crept along a rough walkway next to the channel that led into the caves. Once inside, shivers went through the first three of these as they recognized that awful powerboat. Jin thought to check the fuel level, and found it close to empty. The foursome proceeded to the end of the walkway, where they were faced by a long set of stairs. Sawyer and Sayid, holding the guns, led the way. They made it down the stairs. Keeping quiet, they heard something like a person turning a page of a book or turning over a piece of paper in the hallway at the base of the stairs. Synchronizing their movements, Sawyer ducked down into the near side of the corridor, while Sayid leaped across it. The Other, sitting at a small table, had been bored through days of nothing happening, but still had a gun in his hand. However, he was confronted by a choice of two targets, and could only get off one shot. Having seen Sayid move first, the guard took his shot at the Iraqi. But Sayid had already pulled the trigger of his gun, and his shot hit the Other in the right arm. Sawyer's shot hit his target in the leg, while the Other's shot just grazed Sayid's shoulder. Michael and Jin heard three shots in rapid-fire succession, and were relieved to find out their two friends were standing.

Wasting no time, Alex had sprinted down the main tunnel of the eastern mine, and turned into the in which corridor Walt was working. From his position, Walt hadn't heard the gunfire. Walt was startled to see her, but the look on her face immediately told him something dramatic was happening.

"Gunshots!" Alex exclaimed. "It has to your friends."

Walt was shocked. "What should we do?"

Alex took a second to think. "We have to be careful. These tools may be weapons, but they're no match for guns. The Others are sure to chain you up somewhere, probably in your room. Unless, … I have an idea. Grab some weapons and let's get over toward the water entrance and see what we can do."

Alex and Walt went through the wheelbarrow and decided on two hammers of different lengths and a crowbar, and then ran back through the tunnels, and past Walt's room, up to the side tunnel where Alex's room was located. She took Walt to the door, entered her room, and returned with a key.

"In case the Others catch us, or just you, you should have a concealed weapon."

Walt's outfit did not lend itself to concealing much of anything, but Alex showed what she meant by taking the short hammer, and inserting it handle first into Walt's massive Afro, now fully three decimeters in diameter. Walt adjusted it so that it balanced, and his hair was easily thick enough to keep it in place.

"The other thing is if they catch you, they'll probably chain you in one of these rooms. This key will open any of the manacles around here. I have another on me. Now hide it up there as well. If they catch us, we can try to get you put in a room where you'll be able to reach it."

The key had a small hole in one end. Walt threaded a few hairs from the top of his head through it, and worked it down so that it was hidden from sight. He could tell Alex meant well, but sincerely hoped this precaution wasn't necessary.

"Now what do we do?" asked Walt, holding onto the long hammer while Alex kept the crowbar.

"We see what's going on." They left the side tunnel leading to Alex's room, and re-entered the long corridor. Turning right, they approached a corner that Walt had not seen in a while. Around this corner to the left was a sequence of rooms, or cave chambers. One was the room where he had been chained by a wall his second day in captivity, when he had been convinced to do what the Others told him to. Then there would be the flight of stairs leading up to the channel where the boat had taken him. There would also be the laboratory, and presumably the room where he had been subjected to the water torture. At the end of this corridor would be the flight of stone steps that led up into the mountain, where there was that small room with a view of the ocean, where he had his last glimpse of his father, and Sawyer and Jin, and had tried to signal them by bouncing sunlight off a pair of binoculars.

Having put the Other out of commission, Michael, Sawyer, Jin, and Sayid dragged him into the nearest room, after checking to make sure no one was. Michael demanded to know where Walt was, but he was yelling at someone who was genuinely unconscious. Certainly the gunshots would attract the attention of everyone around, and the group of four had a very limited supply of bullets, although after taking the Other's gun, the supply increased a little. The group discussed their strategy. They would search the area in two groups of two – Michael and Sawyer in one team, and Jin and Sayid in the other. Then they heard a noise in the adjacent room, which also had an entrance onto the main corridor – the laboratory.

Seconds after the group of four had entered that side room, Alex and Walt took a peek down the main corridor. There was nothing out of the ordinary, except for some blood on the floor that was too far away too be seen. Then they heard someone approaching from behind them, coming from the south network of tunnels. This was one of the Others who had been working on fixing the damaged machine. Alex sneaked a quick peek back, and saw that this Other was brandishing a gun. They could try ambushing him at the corner, but that was a terrible chance to take.

"Walt, you have to trust me on this. Give me that hammer. I have to pretend I'm still on their side and just caught you."

Not knowing what else to do, Walt went with his gut feeling and trusted Alex.

"Now, we have to go into this first room." It turned out to be the room where Walt had been chained his second day there. He remembered nearly being lifted off his heels when the manacles were fastened. It was one of many bad memories, but there was little choice. The Other's footsteps approached more rapidly, and he hollered out,

"What's going on here?"

Alex was about to put on an act, and hope Walt would follow her lead.